Public Accounts Committee asks why taxpayers have to foot RM100m bill for 1km rail between airports

The parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) questioned today the RM100 million bill footed by Putrajaya to link the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) to the new KLIA2 using the Express Rail Link (ERL) trains.

According to the PAC, the cost should have been borne by main constructor Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) instead of taxpayers, as the extension is enclosed in the airport’s compound.

In addition, passengers will also pay an additional charge to connect between the airports using the KLIA Express service.

“PAC asked about the ERL connecting KLIA and KLIA2, although the distance was only 1km, the cost was RM100 million and passengers are still charged,” PAC chairman Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed told reporters here.

“We would like to ask the rationale in paying for the extension, it should have been included in the project cost since it is in the same area.”

…Passengers will have to pay RM2 for the connection between the two terminals in a trip that takes around three minutes.